Mental illness, personhood, and transcendence: Spiritual and religious assistance in Catholic psychiatric contexts.

Spiritual and religious assistance (SRA) services at three psychiatric institutions in Portugal are examined, showing a transition from Catholic hospital chaplaincy to a model that integrates Catholic spirituality with concepts from the psychology of religious experience. The central concept is accompaniment of the 'whole person,' addressing the fragmentation of subjectivity caused by illness and the division of care across clinical specialties. Although some SRA practices resemble mindfulness, a systematic comparison reveals differences. The prioritization of users' expressed spiritual needs indicates that SRA aligns with individualistic rationales and the technification of mental health care.

Study at a glance

Abstract

In recent decades, there have been many calls for the inclusion of spirituality and religion (S/R) in therapeutic contexts. In some contexts, this has been an institutionalized form of spiritual and religious assistance (SRA). This article examines the concepts and practices involved in SRA services at three psychiatric institutions in Portugal, a country with strong Catholic roots but increasing efforts at secularity and recognition of religious diversity. The case of a user who contacted the SRA service allows us to better grasp this new practice in action. Although some SRA practices have similarities with mindfulness, a systematic comparison allows us to explore the links between SRA and the global dynamics related to S/R in mental health and the particularities of Catholic spirituality. In the contexts observed, the transition from the Catholic hospital chaplaincy system to the SRA model is developing through the integration of features of the Catholic spiritual tradition with concepts and practices drawn from the psychology of religious experience. The accompaniment of the 'whole person' emerges as the central concept of this form of SRA. Spirituality gains significance as an integrative approach to the subjectivity fragmented by the illness and the fragmentation of care across multiple clinical specialties. Furthermore, the prioritization of the spiritual needs expressed by users suggests that SRA combines well with the individualistic rationales and the technification of care in the field of mental health.